All for One and One for All: That’s How an Orchestra Works
We know that music has a beneficial effect on the psychophysical development of each individual, and that it also has the power to develop and shape certain character traits. We can therefore unequivocally claim that learning music in a structured and continuous way from early childhood helps to strengthen the so-called soft skills. From an etymological perspective, the word “cooperation” means “to contribute together with others to the realisation of a project or work; to participate in a joint activity, especially of an intellectual type”, in short, to work together to achieve a better result than could be achieved alone. For musicians, I have no doubt that the first association with the word “collaboration” is an orchestra.
There is so much magic in an orchestra! A heterogeneous group of people, an ensemble of musicians with various personalities and characteristics, as well as very different instruments that must complement one another, vibrating in harmony. A collection of professionals who have to combine their skills, abilities, talents and sensitivity to achieve a common goal: a flawless musical performance! In an orchestra, the musicians must understand when to perform as soloists and when to accompany others and work in the background. Sometimes the individual has to step back and leave room for others.
Each musician knows his or her own part, but must place it in a common dish, so that it is available to the others. The musicians in an orchestra or ensemble have to know not only how to listen to one another, but how to “feel” one another; they have to be able to shape their own playing while combining it with the playing of others. They have to know how to make their ideas, their special abilities and talents available to the whole group. Sometimes they also have to be willing to change their own ideas for the sake of a unified, shared vision in order to achieve the perfect performance.
Consider, for instance, how difficult it can be to perform an accelerando in an orchestra. How much do you speed up? For how long? How soon should you reach the climax? It’s true that the conductor undoubtedly helps, but if you don’t listen to the other players and cooperate with them, there is always a risk that everyone will have their own idea of the accelerando and that each musician will take their own path. The result would be complete chaos. Only with cooperation, with a feeling that you are part of a group and that the group comes first, can you achieve that magic of sharing, listening and empathy. There are serious studies demonstrating that orchestral musicians develop skills such as a sense of rhythm, balance, understanding the role of individual movements, familiarity with different instruments, and a capacity for order and organisation. Other skills are developed as well, such as personal responsibility within the group, the capacity for common cooperation and creativity, empathy and the sense of each individual contributing to a common result.
Members of an orchestra and their leader, the conductor or team captain, can be very innovative and find ever new solutions. As Bertrand Russell once said: “Education should inculcate the idea that humanity is one family with common interests. That consequently the collaboration is more important than the competition.”
